Let's not go with socks, please.

My first real job out of college was working as a proofreader in the composition department of a printing company. One project was a second (third? Who knows?) printing of best-selling novel Naked Came the Stranger. One immortal phrase I remember was "one-eyed snake from Cummersville". Worst thing ever, but it was a hoax intended to be that way.

From the Wikipedia article:

Mike McGrady was convinced that popular American literary culture had become so base—with the best-seller lists dominated by the likes of Harold Robbins and Jacqueline Susann—that any book could succeed if enough sex was thrown in. To test his theory, in 1966 McGrady recruited a team of Newsday colleagues (according to Andreas Schroder, nineteen men and five women) to collaborate on a sexually explicit novel with no literary or social value whatsoever. McGrady co-edited the project with his Newsday colleague Harvey Aronson, and among the other collaborators were well-known writers including 1965 Pulitzer Prize winner Gene Goltz, 1970 Pulitzer Prize winner Robert W. Greene, and journalist Marilyn Berger.

The group wrote the book as a deliberately inconsistent hodge-podge, with each chapter written by a different author. Some of the chapters had to be heavily edited, because they were originally too well-written. The book was submitted for publication under the pseudonym "Penelope Ashe" (portrayed by McGrady's sister-in-law for photographs and meetings with publishers).​

I wonder what a group effort here could produce.

 

A question to the organisers:
Since we're writing sequels, will the voters be expected to go read part 1 before reading the entries? Or should our stories be like James Bond movies, in which case watching the previous movie is not necessary to understand the new movie?

 

I don't mean to speak for the organisers, but my interpretation of the challenge means that the reader may have the option of reading the original story, but asking people to read two stories for each entry will make the reading section of the compy quite lengthy and laborious. I don't think the story needs to be entirely self-contained, it's up to each author to decide what form their entry will contain.

Personally, I think perhaps a paragraph or two, probably at the beginning, to set the scene and give a little of the back story would suffice.

 

Count me in!!!

 

Exactly that. +1

 

With regard to the suggestion of a group story - I seem to remember a time when it was required to write with a partner. I thought I was going to be tarred and feathered and then run out on a rail

 

You people suck!

There are so many good stories to choose from. How am I supposed to decide? What if I take a perfectly good story and turn it to shit? ARRGGHH!

I remember a story, I just don't remember if it was a CAW story or not. I guess I am going hunting now.

 

First of all, the chances of YOU turning a story to shit are slim to none.

Second, don't think of it as turning a story into anything. If I understand this correctly (jeez, I HOPE so, considering I'm writing like mad), we're to use an old story as a starting point. We're doing sequels, not re-writes.

In past CAWs we had pictures or paragraphs as inspiration. In others we chose a song or a fairy tale or a movie. Here we work with a story. The only real difference this time is we're working with something produced by someone on this forum.

I would never presume to re-work anyone's entry except my own, and the rules don't permit me (or you) to do that. This means we have to find a story by someone else. Don't be scared of that. If the writer "intimidates" you in some way, contact him/her. I suspect most writers will give their blessing.

 

How can you turn a story to shit, when it's your story? You aren't changing what was written, you're simply writing the next chapter. Are we a little whiny because we're a CAW winner and can't use anything we've written ourselves? Pull up your big boy pants, UncleB; it's time to deal with it.

 

This thread is sometimes like watching Peyton Place.

Distractingly entertaining

 

Agreed.

This is a two-part challenge. First, we have to find the one story out of all these entries that both speaks to us and suggests a sequel. Then, we have to write it.

I'm honestly not sure if this is harder or easier than most other challenges. Harder, maybe, since there are so many possible starting points, but also easier, since much of the work of character and setting development has already been done.

Hopefully, with the rather long writing period, we'll see lots of entries.

 

no! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! YOU UNCLE CAN NOT TURN THINGS TO SHIT YOU HAVE TO MUCH ALCOHOL TO TURN ANY WAY BUT REALLY DRUNK, besides if it is shit you are wanting to talk I am the one who can screw up a decent wet dream! You know that! LOL

 

So I will admit I haven't had the time to read all the comments in this thread but I have a suggestion. Let me know if you all think this is a bad idea or its been suggested before. Why don't some of us writers repost some of our non winning stories from the first 15 CAWS. This way some of our newer visitors can read them for the first time or we can get some story ideas from entries we might not remember as well.

The CAWS have been some of the best stories on this site and it would be great to reread some of those stories.

 

I'm going to try this time to do an entry. I have a really good idea for one, the same one I wanted to write for the song CAW. I've just been insanely busy since I got my new job, also I haven't written anything new for almost three years.

But as I said I have a solid idea and we still have a lot of writing time left for me to give everyone a run for their money.

 

I've got my idea for a story, now time to write, though with 2 months it may be possible.

 

WELL PARS THE FLASH IS DONE (LOL) GETTING IT PROOFED MIGHT ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ODD THIS TIME AND DO TWO! NOT SURE I HAVE A WEEK VACATION COMING SO MIGHT CONCIDER IT. (NOW TO FIND ANOTHER STORY THOUGH THERE WAS ONE WANTS WROTE THAT LOOKED INTERESTING..... HMMMM) ALSO FOUND ONE BY @JaneyRedd BOTH LOOK GOOD THEN THERE WAS ONE HORSE DID CRAP NOW CONFUSED GGGRRRRRRRRR

 

oh dear I think ejls and wants want me to write a second! Horrors! thanks guys!

 

Oh damn it! I accidentally deleted my story the other night. I spent several hours trying to retrieve a previously saved version (and even downloaded some software to try to get it back but apparently Open Office automatically rewrites over the top of previous versions). Annoying because I normally back-up work weekly, and it was due the following day. I lost all 1,500 words, but mercifully my 1,000 words of research and plot outline remain (as do the first 500 words or so of story as I Pm'd it to the original author for their approval). After some wailing and gnashing of teeth, a brief cry and a glass of nice Cabernet Sauvignon, I am resigned to re-writing several days work.

I always tell people to back-up regularly, I'm kicking myself for not following my own advice more diligently.

I'm away on vacation as of tomorrow for a week or more, but when I return I will still have five or six weeks to work, I will finish the entry.

 

Oh this just sounds like the excuses are starting already.

 

Started writing a Glee sequel. Non-entry, obviously.